“Only I, my pet, but you must pray warn Elaine. Would that I could take you alone.”
“She may not believe me, Uncle, but I will try. How am I to say that I have come upon this knowledge, though?”
His brow furrowed. “That is true. I had not thought of it, for there is scarce a guest here who would venture such confidences even if they were to know of them. I know not what to say.”
I had expected him to proffer the name of Mrs. Witherington-Carey, whom I suspected knew much of such things, but discretion in him obtained. It was a small but pleasing sign that he had become not so flustered as to completely forget himself. One must beware ever of the possible indiscretions of lust.
“Say naught, Uncle, for whatever will be, will be, and it is too late now to dissuade her or she will think it my fault. We may hide ourselves away there, may we not, so that whatever else passes happens not before our eyes.”
“By Jove, yes, that is the only solution to the matter. What a delightful and resourceful girl you are! Did you like what we just did?” he asked as if in apparent anxiety.
I giggled. I pressed my cheek to his. “I believe so. If you do it to me again at the reception, I shall know better and tell you. But haste, we must not stay here or a servant may discover us. Pray go first and then I will follow.”
“You minx, I truly believe there is more to you than anyone could imagine,” he chuckled and thereupon- fastening his breeches with evident regret-made his way out. I had not long followed when Elaine appeared as I was about to enter my room.
“I have been looking for you. What have you been at?” she asked curiously.
“Oh nothing. I am about to find a book to read,” I replied. Perversely no doubt I did not mean to tell her of my amorous engagement on the floor of the linen room. Later on we would exchange all such secrets. With a strange expression on her face she shrugged and passed on. It occurred to me only afterwards that she had probably similarly encountered her Papa on the stairs in his descent.
CHAPTER four
As might be imagined, I dreamed much that night of what had passed and became restless for more. My cream puff had been well filled, but sought extra dosages. I was not to be lacking in them, as will be seen-nor was Elaine. That which we immediately ventured upon was wicked in the extreme and I doubt not that had I demurred in the linen room and been of lesser daring, my Uncle would have sought some excuse not to take us, for it was apparent to me that he saw in his daughter a mischievous but innocent girl who knew as little as I had seemed to him to do about the ways of the world.
Time floats and passes, however, and soon enough the hour was upon us, I affecting a dark red dress and Elaine a blue one. Our stockings matched our gowns, for we had decided upon that in terms of appearance, were we to be disrobed. I had no doubt now that we were to be and told my cousin so.
“What will you do, then, if your Papa sees you without any drawers on?” I asked. I had not forgotten what she had said about his implement and was still very curious about it.
“Well, he must not, for you must divert him,” she answered and I am sure quite believed herself. “Besides, Arabella, I am sure that there will be quite a crowd there and in all the bustle and gaiety no one will notice what others are at. If Papa does see my bottom I shall be careful to keep my face hid and he will know not who it belongs to, for I swear I will not dance about without any clothes on – and neither must you,” she added with remarkable solemnity.
“Oh, as to that, I am sure excitement will overtake us if it is all that you say, but what a lark it will be if all is rumour and nothing happens!”
“You silly, of course it will, as soon as everyone is in their cups. Be sure that you see to Papa if anyone lifts my skirts.”
“Of course,” I replied demurely, though it seemed to me even then that Elaine was containing herself too much and I already thinking ahead of her. It was scarcely to be imagined that the three of us could attend such a rumbustious event without several untoward events occurring. As I had learned even briefly in the linen room, the fevered imagination quickly rises to a pitch at which all things are possible. In the immediate aftermath they drain away and become dissolved, for there is a momentary peace and a delicious sense of floating. Soon enough however the imagination soars again and no bars are to be put then upon such enticements as enter the mind. Thus I thought and most curiously in so doing was a step ahead of my cousin who but hours before had been my mentor. A desire arose in me to see her being exercised, as we were prone to call it. Had her Papa not weakly conceded to her wishes then all would have been different and mayhap fewer opportunities would have arisen to put her philosophy to the test.
We affected no gaiety upon our departure at eight of the evening in question, for it was to be seen by my aunt that we were upon solemn business. By good fortune she was a rather vague lady and would no doubt have forgotten by the morrow what the purpose of our outing had been.
The house of the Rt. Hon. Edward Eastwood and his family was one of the grandest in the neighbourhood. It was said often enough in joke that all looked up to them, for their mansion stood upon a slow rise among many rolling acres. The jogging of the carriage as we made our way there did nothing but encourage my now passionate temperament, for my bottom bounced up and down all the while as did Elaine's. It being dusk already we could see little enough of her father who accommodated himself on the seat opposite, but I did not doubt that his thoughts of the advancing night were as much as mine.
The house was well lit as our carriage at last approached the entrance. But a single aged servant appeared to be about the place, though the reason for this soon struck me. All others had been dismissed for the night, perhaps locked in their rooms with their supper or packed off to an inn. Thus there were to be no witnesses as to what followed other than the assembled gentry.
As Elaine and I had already surmised, they were not many. I counted as many ladies as gentlemen and found the score not greater than fourteen. Among the former were several beauties of local distinction. By good fortune I knew none of them. All were perfectly polite and utterly discreet, as I discovered. Mrs. Eastwood was a lady of remarkable charm, approaching then her fortieth year, who herself met us in the hall and took our cloaks without the faintest hint of embarrassment.
“You have come well provided for,” she said with a laugh to my uncle while gazing both Elaine and I up and down most approvingly. “You have advised them well, Harold, I trust, for there are to be no understandings.”
Such boldness took me as equally by surprise as it did my cousin. We exchanged the most furtive glances. A purplish hue spread meanwhile over my uncle's features. The doors to the drawing room being closed, we all stood alone.
“Ah, as to that, perhaps we might converse privately,” he said. His voice sounded exceedingly strained. I stared at my feet as did Elaine.
Mrs. Eastwood shrugged in a languid manner. “If you wish ” she declared and led him into a small side room, though leaving the door ajar of a purpose, as I surmised. A muttering came to our ears and then a faint laugh from our hostess.
“My dear Harold, discretion is all here. You above all should know that. I make no demur myself about the presence of Elaine and nor will anyone else. What? I cannot hear what you say, and really I cannot keep the others waiting. She must be put up to the gentlemen as needs be, as we all are. That is the sport of it. You had no need to bring her, my pet. Let me speak with her for I do not wish her to enter upon the proceedings in total innocence, though should she wish to make play upon struggling a little that will be all the more fun. As to the other very pretty young lady who accompanies you, I will have her no more in the dark than Elaine.”
“Oh, I say! But Mavis…”
All was lost, or all was gained, depending upon one's philosophy, for my uncle's interruption was itself interrupted by the emergence of our hostess who clearly was determined to have no break in her evidently smooth affairs.